Immediate care is always indicated to provide a correct diagnosis and appropriate treatment of trauma. See below the different types of trauma that can affect temporary or permanent teeth, their possible consequences and what you can do to avoid them.

• Types of Tooth Injuries – Avulsion

 

In cases of dental trauma where the tooth leaves its place, being fully exposed the treatment considers whether the tooth is temporary or permanent. Temporary teeth can rarely be indicated for reimplantation, that is, generally the best future option will be an appliance with an artificial tooth until the appearance of the permanent tooth.

 When the avulsed tooth is permanent, the ideal treatment is the immediate reimplantation of the tooth, by the parents or the child himself, in its place of origin. It can be done by holding only  the tooth crown and after washing it in running water for 10 seconds. If the child and his / her family do not feel safe to perform the reimplantation, the orientation is to put the tooth a glass or container with milk, saline or saliva and immediately go to a dental emergency service for the dentist to reimplant the tooth.

Avoid to  put the tooth in water filter or faucet. The success of this treatment is greater if the tooth is reimplanted in  a few minutes, decreasing greatly after 1 hour.

However late reimplantation should be stimulated, since even with a poor prognosis for tooth permanence, this may favor future conditions for an implant.

• Types of Tooth  Injury – Subluxation

Subluxation is the most common type of dental trauma in temporary teeth. Mild bleeding between the tooth and gingiva, pain when touching or chewing, and mild or moderate mobility (but the tooth does not change its position) are the clinical signs of this trauma. Usually on radiographic examination there are no significant changes. It is usually a good prognosis. It is possible to increase the chances of success by taking some care related to Oral Hygiene and Diet in the weeks following the trauma. The use of a 0.1% or 0.2% chlorhexidine-based gel or solution twice a day for one week favors healing. The liquid-pasty diet is recommended because the periodontal ligament supporting the tooth has been injured and requires rest for its healing. Eating and chewing normally can hurt the ligament and the vascular-nervous bundle, interfering with its healing, thus contributing to a future canal treatment.

• Types of Dental Trauma – Coronary Fracture

Coronary fractures may be variable in their extent. The smallest fractures are the enamel cracks. In cases of enamel fractures they generally do not require intervention. In cases of larger extensions reaching enamel and dentin, restorative treatments are indicated, provisional or definitive, or even glue fragments. Endodontic treatment can be added to the restorative treatment when the fracture reaches the tooth pulp.

Always be aware in case of trauma associations of tooth support structures to fractures, which can modify the prognosis of the treatment.